James McMurtry

Every Wednesday, when hes in his hometown of Austin instead of touring, James McMurtry dutifully takes the stage at the stroke of midnight (which technically makes it Thursday) at a dark and dusty Congress Avenue bar called the Continental Club. The weeknight warrior crowd, a curious mix of college kids and cowpokes, jovially knocks back shots of Herradura and Lone Star longnecks. While performing, McMurtry is stoic, with a faraway look in his eyes and very little between-song banter dripping from his tongue. Rather, he lets his guitar and lyrics do the talking. The son of a famous novelist (Larry), McMurtry is Lucinda Williams with a Y chromosome. Catching him at the Continental Club is like seeing Springsteen play a boardwalk bar in Jersey. Catching McMurtry at the Tractor aint bad either. With Jonny Burke. MIKE SEELY